Ln 821 npm Upgrader
Upgrades npm/yarn/pnpm dependencies with breaking change handling. Use when updating JavaScript/TypeScript dependencies.
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# ln-821-npm-upgrader
**Type:** L3 Worker
**Category:** 8XX Optimization
Upgrades Node.js dependencies using npm, yarn, or pnpm with automatic breaking change detection and migration.
---
## Overview
| Aspect | Details |
|--------|---------|
| **Input** | Project path, package manager type, upgrade policy |
| **Output** | Updated package manifest and a machine-readable dependency upgrade summary |
| **Supports** | npm, yarn (classic and berry), pnpm |
---
## Workflow
**Phases:** Pre-flight -> Analyze -> Security Audit -> Check Outdated -> Identify Breaking -> Apply Upgrades -> Apply Migrations -> Verify Build -> Report
---
## Phase 0: Pre-flight Checks
| Check | Required | Action if Missing |
|-------|----------|-------------------|
| `package.json` | Yes | Block upgrade |
| Lock file (`package-lock.json`, `yarn.lock`, `pnpm-lock.yaml`) | No | Warn and regenerate before final verification |
| Package manager available | Yes | Block upgrade |
| Workspace baseline safe | Yes | In managed runs coordinator already prepared it; in standalone runs protect rollback locally |
### Runtime Coordination
Managed runs receive deterministic `runId` and exact `summaryArtifactPath` from `ln-820`.
Standalone runs remain supported; if runtime arguments are omitted, generate a standalone run-scoped artifact before returning.
---
## Phase 1: Analyze Dependencies
Read `package.json` and categorize dependencies for upgrade priority.
| Category | Examples | Priority |
|----------|----------|----------|
| peer | `typescript`, `@types/*` | 1 |
| framework | `react`, `vue`, `next` | 2 |
| build | `vite`, `webpack`, `esbuild` | 3 |
| ui | `@radix-ui/*`, `tailwindcss` | 4 |
| state | `@tanstack/react-query`, `zustand` | 5 |
| utils | `lodash`, `date-fns` | 6 |
| dev | `eslint`, `prettier`, test tooling | 7 |
---
## Phase 2: Security Audit
| Manager | Command |
|---------|---------|
| npm | `npm audit --audit-level=high` |
| yarn | `yarn audit --level high` |
| pnpm | `pnpm audit --audit-level high` |
Actions:
| Severity | Action |
|----------|--------|
| Critical | Block and report |
| High | Warn and continue |
| Moderate/Low | Log only |
---
## Phase 3: Check Outdated
| Manager | Command |
|---------|---------|
| npm | `npm outdated --json` |
| yarn | `yarn outdated --json` |
| pnpm | `pnpm outdated --json` |
---
## Phase 4: Identify Breaking Changes
**MANDATORY READ:** Load [breaking_changes_patterns.md](../ln-820-dependency-optimization-coordinator/references/breaking_changes_patterns.md) for full patterns.
Detection flow:
1. Compare current vs latest major versions.
2. Check shared breaking-change patterns.
3. Query Context7 or Ref for migration guides before changing code.
Common breaking examples:
| Package | Breaking Version | Key Changes |
|---------|------------------|-------------|
| react | 18 -> 19 | JSX transform, refs as props |
| vite | 5 -> 6 | ESM-only, newer Node baseline |
| eslint | 8 -> 9 | Flat config |
| tailwindcss | 3 -> 4 | CSS-first config |
| typescript | 5.4 -> 5.5+ | Stricter inference |
---
## Phase 5: Apply Upgrades
Upgrade order:
1. peer dependencies
2. framework packages
3. build tools
4. UI libraries
5. utilities
6. dev dependencies
| Manager | Command |
|---------|---------|
| npm | `npm install <package>@latest --save` |
| yarn | `yarn add <package>@latest` |
| pnpm | `pnpm add <package>@latest` |
Peer dependency conflicts:
| Situation | Solution |
|-----------|----------|
| ERESOLVE | `npm install --legacy-peer-deps` |
| Still fails | `npm install --force` only as last resort |
---
## MCP Tools for Migration Search
| Priority | Tool | When to Use |
|----------|------|-------------|
| 1 | `mcp__context7__query-docs` | First choice for library docs |
| 2 | `mcp__Ref__ref_search_documentation` | Official docs and GitHub |
| 3 | WebSearch | Latest info and community fixes |
Use MCP tools to fetch migration guides before applying non-trivial changes.
---
## Phase 6: Apply Migrations
1. Use MCP tools to find the current migration guide.
2. Apply automated code transforms only when the guide supports them.
3. Log manual follow-up steps for the final report.
Do not hardcode migrations without checking current documentation.
---
## Phase 7: Verify Build
| Check | Command |
|-------|---------|
| TypeScript | `npm run check` or `npx tsc --noEmit` |
| Build | `npm run build` |
| Tests | `npm test` if available |
On failure:
1. Identify the failing package.
2. Search Context7 or Ref for the fix.
3. If unresolved, rollback that package and continue with the remaining candidates.
---
## Phase 8: Report Results
| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `project` | Project path |
| `packageManager` | npm, yarn, or pnpm |
| `duration` | Total time |
| `upgrades.major[]` | Breaking changes applied |
| `upgrades.minor[]` | Feature updates |
| `upgrades.patch[]` | Bug fixes |
| `migrations[]` | Applied migrations |
| `skipped[]` | Already latest or policy-skipped |
| `verification` | Build/test/type-check verdict |
| `warnings[]` | Non-blocking issues |
| `artifact_path` | Durable worker report path, if written |
---
## Configuration
```yaml
Options:
upgradeType: major # major | minor | patch
allowBreaking: true
autoMigrate: true
queryMigrationGuides: true
auditLevel: high
minimumReleaseAge: 14
legacyPeerDeps: false
force: false
runBuild: true
runTests: false
runTypeCheck: true
rollbackOnFailure: true
```
---
## Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|----------|
| ERESOLVE | Peer dependency conflict | Retry with legacy peer dependency mode |
| ENOENT | Missing lock file | Regenerate dependencies first |
| Build fail | Breaking change | Apply migration guide or rollback offending package |
| Type errors | Version mismatch | Update types or framework peer packages |
Rollback:
Restore `package.json` and the lock file, then run a clean install to restore the previous state.
---
## References
- [breaking_changes_patterns.md](../ln-820-dependency-optimization-coordinator/references/breaking_changes_patterns.md)
- [npm_peer_resolution.md](references/npm_peer_resolution.md)
---
## Runtime Summary Artifact
**MANDATORY READ:** Load `references/coordinator_summary_contract.md`
Emit a `dependency-worker` summary envelope.
Managed mode:
- `ln-820` passes deterministic `runId` and exact `summaryArtifactPath`
- write the summary to the provided `summaryArtifactPath`
Standalone mode:
- omit `runId` and `summaryArtifactPath`
- write `.hex-skills/runtime-artifacts/runs/{run_id}/dependency-worker/ln-821--{identifier}.json`
**Monitor (2.1.98+):** For install/audit/build/test commands expected >30s, use `Monitor`. Fallback: `Bash(run_in_background=true)`.
## Definition of Done
- [ ] Package manifest analyzed and dependencies prioritized
- [ ] Security audit completed for the selected package manager
- [ ] Outdated packages identified
- [ ] Breaking changes checked via patterns plus current docs
- [ ] Upgrades applied with rollback on failure
- [ ] Build and relevant verification commands pass after upgrades
- [ ] `dependency-worker` summary artifact written to the managed or standalone path
---
**Version:** 1.1.0
**Last Updated:** 2026-01-10Related Skills
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